A protected audio-video path (PAVP) is a species of protected media path, which creates a “protected environment.” A PAVP is often used to enforce digital rights management (DRM) protections on media purchased by users. Component parts of a PAVP may include a protected video path (PVP) and protected user mode audio (PUMA). PAVP is often considered an attempt to plug the “analog hole” of DRM protection, meaning that once a signal is converted to a human-perceptible analog form, that form may be recordable in a non-protected format.
In an example PAVP, the protected environment includes media components that play the DRM content, so the end-user application handles unprotected content data. The protected environment may also provide signed third-party modules and plugins. This provides a “walled garden” where the DRM content is processed, without providing the unprocessed content to any unapproved application, though application-programming interfaces (APIs) may be provided so that external applications can control playback (e.g., “Play,” “Rewind,” “Pause,” “Next,” and so forth).